Saving a Lion Injured by a Porcupine in Senegal

The lions of both Africa and India are creatures who have captured the imaginations of people for millennia. But we also must acknowledge that their numbers have declined to roughly 24,000 individuals. For a variety of factors, including poaching and habitat loss, lions are growing more and more threatened. 

Panthera is working hard, however, to stem this tide. Just recently, our team in Senegal GPS collared six individuals of the Critically Endangered West African lion subpopulation in Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal, one of this population’s last strongholds. This landscape, a place where we have already seen a steady increase in lion numbers since our work began in the park, now serves as a stage where we can monitor the livelihoods of these six lions, giving us great insight into this species, and thusly, conservation efforts. Just recently, in fact, our team identified several lion prey species as a result of our studies. 

On this journey, Dr. Everatt was faced with a distressing sight — a young lioness with porcupine quills stuck in her face which prevented her from eating. Watch this video to learn about what he and his team did — and what we all can do for lions.

Please consider donating to Panthera to help cats like this important West African lion. It’s us to protect fascinating cat species.